Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 342: Shri Kshetresi (OM kShetreshyai namaH)

In Namams 275 to365, the Divine Mother’s  many forms providing benefits to Her devotees in great details are discussed. 

The Divine Mother is the consort of Lord Shiva and by their unison She has all the aspects of Lord Shiva; She understands all intimate details of the field (human body) and She manages it as Kshetrsi. 

The human body has been described as the field or Kshetesam which is having the potential to get liberation from life cycle. The Divine Mother is ruling such human body Kshetram as Kshetresi. As the Universal Mother, She is above these two Kshetresam and Kshetresi; She is controlling all actions in them. 

The Divine Mother is the Goddess in Kshetram; She holds all the forms of Kshetrams; She is the Isvari in Ksherams. She is correctly ruling to ensure the smooth functioning of universe which has many worlds like ours and other galaxies supported by cosmic forces. The Divine Mother is pervading over all cosmic bodies to ensure their correct functioning. So She is called Kshetresi. 

With the Divine Mother’s grace, the humans use their bodies as Kshetram; through worshipping the Divine Mother, the humans are able to control their bodies. All these are happening through the Divine Mother’s grace; She is called Kshetresi. 

The Divine Mother is ruling the Shakti Peetams (Kshetrams with immense Divine Power) like Kasi and Kanchi; She is also ruling the human body as Her Kshetram. Parmesvara (Lord Shiva) owns such Kshetrams in land and also in human bodies. With Her unison with Lord Shiva, She controls all such places of Shakti Peetams and human bodies. 

She, who is the ruler of matter and the bodies of all beings, Adi Sankara says in his Dasasloki the ten-verse hymn: “I am neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air, nor ether, nor sensing organs, nor the aggregate of all these; for all these are transient variable by nature, while the Supreme Self is that whose existence is favoured by unique experience of deep sleep. I am the one, auspicious and pure that alone remains”.

 

  Madurai where Meenakshi Devi resides is considered

a Kshetram and a Shakti Peetam in Tamilnadu, India

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 01 January 2021.

 

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San Ramon, California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2.       Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3.       The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Chithbavandar